formartine get better of vale

The Aberdeenshire Shield tie between these two was, as anticipated, a much tighter run affair than the eight-goal holocaust dished out by Formartine in the league at the beginning of the season.

But it was still a fairly comfortable Formartine win in a game where with the occasional wobbly patch they called the shots from first to last.

Formartine made a highly impressive opening by stringing over a dozen passes together directly from the kick-off and setting up Barbour with a half chance from about 25 yards out on the right.

For all that Formartine moved the ball about slickly and with pace and style Vale came nearest to opening the scoring.

Play was largely contained in the box to box area with a bit more of it in Vale territory than in United’s.

Graeme Rodger was in scintillating form and more than Heads, Keith or Souter could cope with.

Combining with Barbour and fed copiously by the estimable Lawson, this pair were beginning to gain more frequent penetration in the final third.

In the 32nd minute the triumvirate got its just reward after a move initiated by Lawson feeding Barbour down the inside left channel led to the stalky wee forward splitting Krobot and Heads before slipping the ball seven or eight yards right to Rodger who was about 12 yards out from goal and drilled it home low, hard and well beyond the reach of Pennet.

This appeared to settle Formartine who then proceeded to dominate the rest of the first half.

Whatever slender chances Vale had of an equaliser were wrecked when their main striker Harris was shown the red card after a second bookable offence.